"Honestly, it's not for everyone," says Nebraska's new self-destructive tourism campaign

Nebraska has an image problem. According to marketing research firm MMGY Global, it ranks last on a list of states of interest to tourists. Even though travel writers regularly praise Omaha music and art scenes and the spectacular wildlife of this state, coastal residents tend to think that Nebraska is a very long corn field that is a very long time. They have to cross to reach the Rockies.

Tourism managers are experimenting with a new approach. On Wednesday, the Nebraska Tourism Commission unveiled its new slogan: "Honestly, it's not for everyone".

Yes, it's real. And no, it's not an attempt at reverse psychology. A press release from the Nebraska Tourism Commission acknowledges that the state "may not be on the list of places to be visited by all residents". But, said the commission, "if you like unpretentious and uncomplicated experiences or if you like to escape from city life for lonely moments in the open plains, create your own pleasure or explore the quirks that I'm looking for. State has to offer, there is a good chance you will love it here. "

The slogan is featured in commercials that will begin to appear next spring, with the goal of changing people's perception that Nebraska is not a place where there is nothing to do, said the Commission. A watch of hikers on a rock formation next to the phrase "Famous for our flat and boring landscape". Another displays a waterfall crossing a lush forest and the line "Another day in the dusty plains".

State-endorsed trademark consultants found that most consumers did not consider Nebraska as a leisure destination, the commission said in its press release. The campaign was to be "disruptive," the commission wrote, because of the "marketing challenge" Nebraska was facing. The cleared humor of this slogan was welcomed during tests on markets outside the state likely to carry tourists to Nebraska, the commission said.

However, not all Nebraskians are sold on the new marketing strategy. A survey by the Omaha World-Herald shows that a majority of readers said they like the slogan, but critics say it does not help sell the state as a likely place to go. to be visited by tourists. (One could say that this is not for everyone.)

"I do not think the best way to defend ourselves is to denounce stereotypes about us," Washington Post Micah Yost, a native of Nebraska and owner of a brand and marketing company in Omaha, told the Washington Post. . "There is no reason for that to attract people to the state."

So how could he launch his native country with foreigners?

"Nebraska was part of the original border, and there could be an idea of ​​discovery and really help people discover things that may not be known to the world," she said. he said, citing the energy of cities like Omaha and Lincoln. and easy access to outdoor activities, trails and wildlife.

According to Yost, choosing the right slogan is not just about attracting tourism. This also applies to companies like hers, when they do business outside of the state.

"If they see us only as corn fields and dirt roads, they will miss university innovation, big sports, great restaurants – everything that happens in the state ", did he declare.

Officials told the World Herald that the state had spent about $ 450,000 for the campaign. Yost said the price seemed too high and that he was frustrated by the fact that the Nebraska Tourism Commission had worked with a foreign company, while a local agency might have a better understanding of the company. 39; State.

It is not the only one to worry about the new campaign.

"I realize that's the language in the cheek," wrote Wednesday on Facebook Facebook, Julie Cornell, presenter of KETV. "But words matter, people, Ugh, and WHY, have we paid a Colorado company to propose this, I know a lot of talented marketing companies in Nebraska !!"

"Our tourism is bad because everyone says we're bad," he complains on Nebraskan on Twitter. "Western Nebraska is one of the most beautiful and authentic parts of the country I know."

"It's going to get people coming in here … NOT," another wrote. "There are a lot of things to like about #Nebraska and a lot of potential." Apparently, @NebraskaTourism has been instructed to stop others from discovering our jewels, so we reinforce the stereotype that it does not matter. "That's a driving state, not a destination."

State tourism officials could not be reached for a comment late Wednesday, but Nebraska's tourism director, John Ricks, told the World Herald that he did not think that the campaign reinforced negative stereotypes. The focus groups appreciated the honesty of the field, he said.

"For people to listen, you have to hang them in one way or another," he told the World Herald. "We had to shake people up."

The self-disparaging slogan naturally lends itself to parody. On Twitter, some Nebraskois jokingly proposed their own alternative slogans, such as "Nebraska: we do not want to be here either".

Others have commended the state for being aware of itself and for having a sense of humor.

Developing a clever slogan for state advertising campaigns can be a tricky business. Just ask Washington tourism officials who chose "SayWA" as the state's motto in 2006. A Seattle Times columnist wrote at the time that it looked like "the name of a vegetable oil". The sentence ended up at the top of the list of worst state slogans.

When Pennsylvania changed its state slogan to "Pursue Your Happiness" in 2016, residents were not impressed, calling the generic and a waste of money. The same year, Rhode Island angered residents by announcing that "Cooler and Warmer" would be the new slogan of the state. Adding an insult to injury, the enigmatic slogan was unveiled with a promotional video that uses images of Iceland – not the state of the ocean. The director of state marketing resigned four days after the deployment.

And Nebraska's latest travel slogan, "Visit Nebraska Visit Nice", has been widely criticized for selling cheaper than the state when it was announced in 2014.

"I do not even know what it means," said Yost. "I hope we are nice people, it's positive, but it's not really a positioning statement that will give people a reason to visit the state."